Linear Acceleration Warm Up

We have spent the last couple weeks focusing on a proper warm up, or Movement Prep session, introducing the various components of each 20-minute session and explaining the importance of each as they relate to short and long term benefits for the players.

Last week we broke down the different sections of each Movement Prep session (general warm up, activation, dynamic stretch, movement skills, plyometrics and movement application drills) and started to build a library of exercises that can be used for each of those sections of the warm up.

This week, rather than simply providing a written sample workout, we wanted to actually show how we incorporate this exercise philosophy into the Galaxy players’ training regimen. The below video was taken during a Galaxy training session where we used exercises from last week’s exercise library to build a warm up focusing on linear acceleration mechanics.

As you watch this Movement Prep session, look at the way these exercises flow or build off one another. Start to get an idea of how to setup and organize your warm up so that it’s easy for the players to go from one exercise to the next.

For the sake of this video I have tried to give examples of how the team can be organized into groups, circles, or one line to show different ways of running the warm up. There is no right or wrong organizational approach though as each coach has a unique style and method for managing players. I personally try to add variety into each session in order to keep the players more engaged, and so they don’t get use to the same routine everyday. At the end of the day the most important result you’re looking for is being able to manage the players and making sure they are getting their warm up, so however that needs to be expressed or communicated is up to the person running the session.

Linear Acceleration Warm Up

As you can see most of the exercises within each section have a linear focus as we progress through the warm up. Next week we will show another example warm up but with the focus on lateral or multidirectional movements.

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